Durham based charity Finchale, which supports veterans and their families in the region, has received a grant of more than £100,000 to continue its valuable work in the community…
The grant comes from ABF The Soldiers’ Charity, the British Army’s national charity, and will provide support to 70 Ex-forces personnel from across the region.
In addition to helping with the cost of staffing, the grant will go towards providing individualised, professional case management that will enable veterans from the North East to access support in areas such as personal finance, housing, relationships, mental and physical health, training and education, whilst learning the necessary skills to get back into employment.
As part of the project, individuals will also be able to access employability support focussed on translating acquired military knowledge, skills and experience into language recognised by commercial employers working with Finchale’s recruitment service that matches individuals with North East businesses looking to take advantage of Ex-forces personnel as assets to their organisations.
Andy Wildish, Veterans Services and Operations Manager at Finchale said: “We are absolutely committed to helping our ex-forces personnel and are delighted to have been awarded this grant. We’re really grateful for The Soldiers’ Charity’s continued support which will enable us to help even more Army veterans on an individual basis to obtain the support, skills, and qualifications they need, to gain the employment they want.
“When you leave the Army, it can be a significant challenge to adapt to the pressures and demands of everyday civilian life, especially for those who may be suffering from the added burden of mental health problems or long-term injury.
“We continue year on year to see increases in the demand for support from the Ex-forces community in the North East and the awarded funds will go some way to ensuring that each individual receives the support they need so that they can access the opportunities they deserve. Without the support of charities such as ABF The Soldiers’ Charity none of this would be possible“
Brigadier (Ret’d) Robin Bacon, Chief of Staff, ABF The Soldiers’ Charity adds: “It is essential that our veterans can access help when they need it. Finchale provides support across a range of areas including education and training, housing and physical and mental health with great outcomes for our veterans in the North East. Thank you for all of your hard work.”
Last year Finchale provided support to over 600 individuals with over 75% achieving positive outcomes including improvements in wellbeing, access to training and gaining paid employment.